The Never Ending Darkness
by emotionlessfreak
Summary: After the fall of the Dark Lord, another dark, mysterious wizard rises to continue the war Lord Voldemort had begun. It only takes a muggle with special abilities to live up to the prophecy. The prophecy that will change everything. OC. Please R&R!
1. Gregorovitch Wands

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

_Story: After Lord Voldemort's downfall, after the Deathly Hallows._

* * *

She would stare at the mysterious, small shop that seemed to be squeezed tightly between the two big clothing and apparel stores. The tacky store fascinated the teen as it was captivating. It seemed that no one else had noticed it was there. She had asked Allard about it before…

"_Hey, Allard. You see that small store with the fading gold font?" Jay asked, pointing her long, slender finger towards the unattractive store that looked centuries old._

"What store? G&F? Might I remind you that we're here for groceries, not clothes?" Allard replied in a deep, matured voice. He seemed not to hear the part about the gold font and squinted through his overgrown, light brown hair at the store. He looked at the store display, where several mannequins were dressed in the newest hip clothes.

"No, the one next to it on the left. That old little store over there." Jay replied, brushing her shoulder-length black hair to the side so she could look at the eye-catching store more properly."Gregorovitch Wands. I wonder what they sell…"

"I don't see anything that says that. Anyway, we should get going." Allard answered, not paying much attention, and walking briskly into the crowd, leaving Jay behind. Still staring at the mysterious store, she quickly followed after him.

Jay never really cared, but her suspicions about the store had gotten the best of her. On a cold Saturday afternoon in February, she walked towards Gregorovitch Wands, after many weeks of looking at the store but never actually approaching it. She squinted, trying to look past the dirty window, but couldn't see anything inside. It was a mystery. This little store was special. It wasn't shady, nor was it ugly. It had rather cozy feeling of excitement and wonder. It seemed almost magical.

Jay looked around to see if anyone else was approaching the store as well, but failed to see anyone who even glanced towards her direction. Shrugging inwardly, she placed her hand over the ornate silver doorknob and turned slowly. With an anticipating look in her dark brown eyes, she carefully stepped into the store, and looked around in awe and fascination.

It seemed that the store was just dark in general as there were no lights, but a few candles lined up on an old bookshelf. There were rows and rows of bookshelves, which seemed to be filled with small rectangular boxes, rather than books. Looking around herself, Jay couldn't help but think that the store resembled a stereotypical, haunted house. There was dust on every surface of the old wooden furniture, and the air was a bit stuffy and the store no longer looked so charming. It was still exciting and mysterious, yes, but had lost its unattractive attractiveness.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack that echoed through in entire room, breaking the peace around the curious girl. Gasping in shock, Jay whipped around to the source of sound that came from behind, knocking over an old-fashioned bottle of ink in the process that added to the tension and surprise in the atmosphere.

There stood a tall figure in a black hooded cloak that cast a frightening aura around. The young man lowered his hood and revealed his menacing blue eyes that seemed to pierce the silence. The two people in the store stared at each other. The nervous teenage girl and the fearsome young man in a long, overflowing cloak.

Without warning, the man quickly whipped out what seemed to be a stick of beautifully carved wood. Startled, Jay stepped back immediately, wondering whether or not this was a sign of aggression or threat. As the strange man advanced with his 'weapon' aloft, Jay began to feel more and more uneasy by the second.

"What are you playing at? Not defending yourself with a wand at a time like this! You idiots truly don't understand the power of the King! Who are you?!" the man demanded sharply, practically yelling at Jay. She had no idea what was going on, but was still trying to figure out where this man had come from.

"I, er… Sorry, but I don't what you're talking about." She replied quickly, trying to keep eye contact, which was a hard task as the blonde man's glare penetrated hers stare with malice. "Well, I must be going." She muttered and walked quickly as her legs would allow towards the door. But the man had stepped in front of the exit, still pointing the wooden stick towards her.

_Oh, shit_, Jay thought and tried to remember some basic self-defense techniques. But before she could come up with a plan to escape from this crazed man, she heard another loud crack and saw another identical hooded figure appear out of thin air next to the one that was advancing towards her. Jay gasped in shock, staring at the man that had just apparated who was lowering his hood. He had a heavier build than the slender blonde man with dark brown hair and eyes, but with the murderous intent to match.

"Well, well… Who is this, Malfoy? I thought I'd accompany you just in case you wouldn't... Ah… Stray." Crackling a wheezy laugh, the newly arrived man glanced towards the young lady with interest. "And what may you be doing here, darling?" he drawled.

"I was just interrogating her before you rudely interrupted, Goyle." The man named Malfoy replied coldly. "So, what are you doing here?" Malfoy demanded once more. He was now accompanied by the other man, Goyle who looked a bit strong.

But before Jay could stutter any response to the threatening men, Goyle had pulled out a stick of wood of his own and lazily said, "Stupefy."

"Damn it, Goyle! What's the point of me asking her anything if you were going to stun her?" Malfoy cried out in frustration. He saw that the girl had fallen in a stiff, standing position.

"I'd watch your mouth if I were you, Malfoy. Ever since your traitorous parents tried to escape after the fall of the Dark Lord, little Drakey isn't the favored one now, is he?" Goyle questioned, enjoying the anger that had sparked in Malfoy's face that had moved down to his clenched fists. "We'll take her back to headquarters and find out who she's working for."

Glaring at Goyle, the 20-year-old Draco Malfoy had quickly spun on the spot and disapparated on the spot, not looking back to see the black-haired girl stir confusedly and Goyle's shocked face. If Malfoy had left a few seconds later, he would've seen that Goyle's properly-performed spell did not affect the mysterious girl. The one that had turned up at the store, Gregorovitch Wands.


	2. Bitter Memories and the Darkest Lord

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

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Malfoy stomped through the dark woods furiously, thinking of nothing but Goyle and how pleasant it would be for his fist to come in contact with his rounded, arrogant face. How dare he talk about his parents like that!! Malfoy remembered bitterly of the times when he was the one who had control over Goyle, not the other way around. _He_ was supposed to be the leader. The one who was supposed to rise above all!

His parents, Lucius and Narcissa had tried to make a run for it after the Dark Lord had declared the infamous Harry Potter dead. Of course, all of the pathetic little Death Eaters thought that it was the end. They believed that the Boy Who Lived was no more. Draco was shocked to find out later that Potter had somehow come back from the dead. It was ridiculous, how those rumors spread about Potter. He had refused to believe it. But then, Lord Voldemort's devoted followers had found them.

The Death Eaters had committed their lives to the Dark Lord. And when he fell for the last time, they had nothing more to do. Their whole lives were about the Dark Lord. After his shocking death, the Death Eaters were lost as to what they should do. Unlike before when Lord Voldemort's famous killing curse had rebounded, his followers were not as devoted. They had served him out of fear and desire for power. But as the years passed, the closest of servants had seen the Dark Lord as their leader, their master. A leading figure that would lead them into a new world full of purebloods, a new world where the mudbloods to be underneath the _real_ wizards.

Of course, many of the Death Eaters were caught by the Aurors and were sent to Azkaban shortly after Potter had defeated Lord Voldemort. Malfoy thought it stupid how the Ministry of Magic still confided in Azkaban. The time when the prison was feared was long gone. The concept of the Dementor's Kiss was still frightening, yes, but mass outbreaks from Azkaban had occurred in the past, usually under the Dark Lord's order. It had all started when Sirius Black had escaped. His famous escape wasn't just some interesting news made to entertain and surprise the wizarding community. Perhaps it was for some, but for the Death Eaters, it was a sign that Azkaban had its faults.

Malfoy and his parents were already out of the country and starting a new life. A life without ruthless killings, death threats, constant fear of being killed. But this happiness did not last long as a new dark wizard had arisen. The Malfoy family had no idea, as they had cut off all connections with the dark wizards and the wizarding world as a whole. They thought that it would be best to lie low for awhile, amongst the muggles where famous dark wizards such as the Malfoys were to be never found. They were wrong, however.

Thinking sourly of the moment when the Death Eaters had found the Malfoys and had told them mockingly of their new lord, Draco came to a halt. He was deep in the woods, now. The air was hazy and smelled mossy. The trees around him were so tall that the sky was almost invisible. There were howls in the distance, crunching sounds of the footsteps made by the magical creatures, and the howls of the cold wind. _More bitter memories_, he thought. Yes, Malfoy was standing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest on Hogwarts grounds.

* * *

"Why is she here? Explain this, Goyle!" Durin snarled, looking suspiciously at the unconscious Jay who was tied up by ropes which were done manually. "Seriously, we all know that you're a dunderhead, but you could've just stunned her, you idiot."

Durin was one of the new Death Eaters that had joined ever since their new lord had taken the place of Lord Voldemort. He had a menacing look, a basic requirement for one to become a Death Eater. His long, unkempt black hair gave him a deranged look, and his unshaven face didn't help either. He was middle aged like most of the Death Eaters, but he had a childish scowl on his face.

"Stop fucking around. Of course, I stunned her. And bloody hell I did, too!" Goyle started to protest. He looked around the dark room and at each of the Death Eaters' faces. They all had bags under their eyes as if they hadn't slept for weeks and an untidy look that promoted their fearsome appearance. The room was dimly lit by a couple of candles on a small table that they were all sitting around. Goyle thought it was best to continue the meetings at Malfoy Manor again as they had before, but the new lord had taken an unexpected liking to the house.

"So what was the problem, eh? Can't even perform a simple stunning spell. Ha!" laughed Durin and others followed that included Mulciber, Rosier, Nott, and the Carrows. Hartfelt was the only one who remained silent, as he always was. He was the youngest of the Death Eaters and the only one who looked clean and domesticated.

"A nasty little witch got the best of you, eh, Goyle?" taunted Amycus, and laughter erupted from the table. They all looked at him with mock and ridicule. All but Hartfelt, who usually expressed no emotions. Goyle had been granted authority over some of the Death Eaters, but it was amusing for them to tease him, nonetheless.

"No! I stunned her and she somehow reflected the spells back!" Goyle argued. "She didn't use a Shield Charm, either. In fact, she didn't even have her wand."

"What the hell are you blabbing on about, Goyle? Of course, she had her wand. There are these things called _nonverbal spells_." Durin mocked him once again. A series of chuckled echoed the small room that they were all sitting in. They watched in amusement as Goyle fumed in anger.

"The most logical explanation for this is that she was wearing clothing that has anti-jinx protection. I believe it was Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes that first started the idea?" Harfelt had proposed the idea quietly in his low, deep voice. Although he was the youngest of them all, he was always collected and calm and often came to the best conclusion.

The room became quiet as the Death Eaters looked at the young Hartfelt in approval and jealousy. Even though his actions did not suggest anything offensive, they all hated him for exactly this reason. He would be serious and use his wits to outsmart them all without even meaning to.

"Ah, that's our Hartfelt. Always thinking logically like a robot." Said Rosier, trying to lighten the mood. Goyle, however, was nodding, glad that Hartfelt's theory had excused his failure at stunning the girl.

"But if the spells did not work, Goyle…" Hartfelt continued in his monotone voice, "How did you manage to get her unconscious? I am hoping that her facial wound doesn't have anything to do with it." There, clearly visible through her dark black hair, was a big reddish-purple blotch on Jay's face.

"Ah, being a softie again, Hartfelt? I've told the King that you aren't fit to be one of us. But obviously he liked your wits better than your strength." Teased Mulciber. The others nodded, unable to comprehend why Hartfelt did not approve of harming others. Clearly, that's all the Death Eaters did. Torture and kill. He was certainly young, of course. But it was ridiculous how he was seen as a part of the notorious, fearful Death Eaters.

"Your unreasonable opinions… They don't concern me." Hartfelt said formally and swept across the room, leaving with a quick _swish_ of his cloak. The others sighed at his foolishness and resumed to question Goyle.

"So what was she doing at Gregorovitch Wands? Found out anything about the Elder Wand? Or the Hallows?" Nott pressed on. The others looked at the heavily built Goyle in anticipation. It was their ultimate goal to find out what the Dark Lord was pursuing. They had caught the words 'Elder Wand' and 'Hallows' during the Dark Lord's final duel with Potter. It was impossible at that time to threaten the answer out of the boy and his companions as they were heavily outnumbered after the Dark Lord's downfall. The Death Eaters' power was progressing now, but the Potter boy and his companions were nowhere to be found. They had disappeared, of course.

"Well? Gregorovitch had something to do with the Elder Wand, did he not?" Nott pressured on. Goyle shifted uncomfortably as the others stared at him, desperate for some information.

"Er, no. I had to have the girl under my control and because the spells weren't working, I had to knock her out, didn't I?" he looked questioningly at the Death Eaters in the room whose expressions changed to be furious.

But before the outraged Death Eaters could even whip out their wands, the door slammed open and Karls, another new Death Eater walked in swiftly. "Prepare for a meeting. The King, the Darkest Lord is here."

* * *

_A/N: Ooh, getting suspenseful here, huh?  
__ I'm on Spring Break, so I'll be writing this whole week, so check for new updates! _


	3. The Forbidden Forest

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

* * *

Jay woke up to find herself tied up and blindfolded on the ground. She felt tired and dazed, but then jolted awake when she remembered the raging man called Goyle, who had evidently knocked her out. She felt a stinging pain on her left cheek and arm and frowned. She had never thought that something absurd as this would have happened to her. There had been a series of attacks last year near her high school, but hadn't thought of it seriously, for nothing had affected her directly. But now that she in a situation where she was the victim, Jay searched desperately for a way to escape.

She racked her ears and listened to the muffled voices that were coming from another room. She tried to move, but all she could do was squirm on the ground like a pathetic worm. _Damn, these ropes are tight,_ she thought. The only thing she could do was lie on the ground and to try to listen to her captive, Goyle, and possibly his companions talk in the other room.

"What are you talking about, Karls? Surely, you don't mean the King is _here_??" demanded Mulciber. He looked at Karls uneasily with his dark empty eyes.

"Yes, he's here _now_, you fools!" declared Karls in a booming voice. "Get prepared quickly! Any news of the Hallows?"

"No, not yet." Said Mulciber. "But we've captured a suspicious girl at Gregorovitch Wands and will question her soon." He added quickly when he saw the outraged and panicked look on Karls' face. "Don't worry. We'll definitely find out this Hallow business."

"Tell that to the Darkest Lord, not me. You know the meeting place. Malfoy Manor. Be prepared." Said Karls, then turned on the spot and disapparated.

Sighing, the other stood up reluctantly with worry and disapparated as well. All that was left were the few dying candles that were placed on the table in the middle of the room, and the sad, sleeping girl in the dirty storage room next door.

* * *

"Ah, Malfoy. What may I owe this pleasure to?" asked Jun sarcastically as he pawed the ground with his hoof. He looked at the tall young man, awaiting his response. Jun was probably the only centaur who did not despise humans. He didn't really understand it all, really. He missed Firenze, who acted as a father to him after the death of Dumbledore. Jun was still young then, but the centaurs often fought physically, trying to resolve whether they should relocate. "Filthy thoughtless humans", is what Bane had called them. He had respect for Dumbledore, but had not taken a side during the war, even though his respected one had been killed. Firenze was the only one who brought peace by his teachings of astronomy, and Jun did not understand why the others had opposed Firenze so strongly.

"I'm not here to ask you for anything. And for the record, you've only helped me twice." Malfoy muttered, looking down at the muddy ground.

"Ah, of course. Hiding you from the other centaurs when you were lost in the forest and couldn't disapparate from school grounds was nothing. It's not as if our species hate the humans and are willing to kill them if they appear onto our territories." Jun joked sarcastically once again. He enjoyed the embarrassed look on Malfoy's face and went on. "And of course, it was practically nothing of me to tell the Death Eaters of the opposite direction where you escaped to." Jun smirked at Malfoy, who looked grateful and insulted at the same time. Chuckling, he asked, now serious, "I apologize. You know how my cynical personality irritates people."  
"Indeed, I do." Malfoy replied sourly. "In fact, I am here to ask you whether or not there have been anything interesting happening at Hogwarts. Any news about… Him?"

"Ah, I wouldn't know. To have any contact with the students at Hogwarts… Especially as a teacher." Jun replied, looking up at the dark, starry night. "That is a death wish for us centaurs. For Bane to have mercilessly killed Firenze… A tragedy, indeed." Malfoy did not reply, shifting uncomfortable. He knew fully well that there was a barrier, a wall dividing the centaurs and the humans. "We centaurs are generally peaceful creatures. For something as this to happen…" he drifted away.

Malfoy cleared his throat uneasily, looking up at the sky as well. His bluish grey eyes sparkling from the glowing moon. "Well, er… I was just wondering. I believe it is only… He who can stop…" he trailed off.

"With all due respect, I do not believe that 'he' will be able to stop the new lord." Jun replied, looking back down at Malfoy. "It is in my knowledge that Potter had a special connection with You-Know-Who. And somehow, he was the only one unaffected by You-Know-Who's attacks. As you must know."

"Yes, yes." Malfoy replied, somewhat annoyed. "I understand. I just thought… Well, I trust you on this, Jun."

"Of course. If you haven't noticed, I am a bit different from the others." Jun continued, "It's not as if every centaur would interact with someone so evil and narrow-minded." He teased.

"Alright, you've made your point. Then, I will be going." Malfoy turned around and took a few steps forward. "Thank you." Walking out of the forest, Malfoy wondered where in the world Potter was. Out of the shady forest, he kept walking for about an hour, despite his feet crying out in pain. When he finally reached the top of the hill where he was able to disapparate, he could see all of Hogwarts and its grounds. Without looking back, he turned and disapparated with a loud crack that echoed into the dark, silent night.


	4. Conversation

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

* * *

After waking up in horror, Jay remained silent, wondering if her captor and his companions were gone. There was silence except for a silent scuttle which made her think of large rats. Quickly dismissing the thoughts, she tried once again to escape the ropes that confined her so tightly. The room was dark and the air stuffy. After many more hours of desperate attempts to escape, Jay eventually fell asleep, exhausted.

* * *

"The meeting didn't go as bad as I thought it would." Durin looked at the others in relief. "It's been a month already and we've got nothing. No information at all."

"And that is precisely why we must really focus and find some. Clues, leads… Anything will do!" replied Amycus is desperation.

"There _are_ no leads! No clues!" cried Goyle is frustration. He sighed and looked at the others. "All we know is that the 'Deathly Hallows' is what the Dark Lord was pursuing, and that it would've somehow brought him to full power. Possibly immortality." Goyle looked a bit pleased with himself for reminding himself and the others that they at least had something to work towards.

"Yes, Goyle. I believe we've already established that fact." Murmured Harfelt. The others snickered despite the desperate situation they seemed to be in. "May I remind you about our prisoner?" Goyle looked up in surprise as others raised their eyebrows. Clearly, they had forgotten about the girl from Gregorovitch Wands as they were all distraught from their lack of information on the Deathly Hallows. Hartfelt continued in a monotone voice, "I will question her. In the meantime, I suggest that we all go back to the source of everything. Check everywhere. Godric's Hollow, Hogwarts grounds, Diagon Alley, and Gregorovitch Wands. It's not much, but it's all that we've got."

The Death Eaters were again impressed by the youngest of the group. Looking at each other, they all agreed silently. A bird crowed in the distance, and all disapparated from the eerie grounds of Malfoy Manor.

* * *

Jay was woken up by a gentle hand, shaking her shoulder. Moaning tiredly, she stirred and looked up with her drowsy eyes. Remembering all that had happened, she quickly pushed herself back from the figure which she could not make out clearly.

Hartfelt looked down at the squinting, alarmed girl in exasperation. She didn't look much older than he was. He felt pity for the girl, seeing her dirty hair and clothes and the ropes that tightly bound her. "Relax. I won't hurt you." He said, kneeling down to get closer.

"Yeah, right." Jay replied, trying to distance herself from the young man in the dark cloak which wasn't too easy seeing as she was tied up. After a full minute of silence, she asked, "Are you going to kill me??"

"No." Harfelt replied quickly.

"What, are you going to torture me before you do?" She asked in a surprisingly calm voice. Her exhaustion and lack of energy helped her take control of the situation.

"No. " Taken aback by her fearlessness, he looked more closely, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "I'm just going to ask you a few questions. That's it." He promised.

There was no reaction from Jay. She obviously did not believe the stranger, even though he did not show any signs of anger nor threat. She tried to think what his intentions could possibly be. Her crazy conclusions were interrupted by his first question. "What were you doing at Gregorovitch Wands?" Hartfelt asked bluntly. "If you don't cooperate, I'll have to make you take some Veritaserum."

"What?? Veritaserum?" Jay asked confusedly. She could see the young hazel eyes and a few sprouts of dark brown hair from under the hood Hartfelt was wearing. Looking straight at him, she replied truthfully, "I was curious about the store. I've always noticed it, and just wanted to check it out."

Hartfelt lowered his hood for more direct focus. He couldn't figure out whether or not she was lying. It was a good thing that he didn't have a temper like Goyle's or else he probably would've demanded for the truth. "Is that it?"

When Hartfelt lowered his hood, Jay saw that he was only a few years older than she was. Possibly a college student. Who was possibly engaged in a gang. Despite the state that she was in, she couldn't help but to notice that he was good-looking. Quickly dismissing his appearance, she replied, "Yeah. I have no reason to lie."

"That's true." He stood up, towering over Jay. "Especially since you know that your life depends on it." Hartfelt said this without any means of ending her life. He quickly added, "Not that I would take part in anything of that sort. The others…" He trailed off, his monotone voice going up slightly at the end.

"The others?" Jay shuddered at the thought of Goyle and his angrily swinging arms.

"They might resort to torture and the use of Veritaserum." Hartfelt replied disapprovingly. Shaking his head, he tried to comfort her. "I'll try to convince them otherwise. Although they'll most definitely try Veritaserum."

"What?? Wait, what's Veritaserum?" Jay asked quickly as Hartfelt walked towards the exit. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Veritaserum won't hurt. I won't let them kill you. After the potion reveals the truth, they'll probably erase your memories and let you go. That is, if you don't have anything to do with all this." He walked away and just when he was about to close the door to the storage room, he said, "I'm Hartfelt, by the way."

"Wait! Potion? What are you talking about?" She cried. Sighing, she tried to shift herself into a more comfortable position which wasn't so easy. "Aarggh…" Tired and hungry, she closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep again. "Hmm… Hartfelt. Interesting name." She murmured.


	5. Finding Potter

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

* * *

Draco sat on the cold stool in the dusty pub Hog's Head, sipping his firewhisky, thinking whether or not he had made the right decision. However, he was not given the chance to consider his previous actions as he heard a scuffling of heels behind him.

"Ahem," coughed the high-pitched voice from behind.

Draco reluctantly turned around and looked up to face the vile woman with ostentatious blonde curls and high spectacles.

"Ah, I see you've received my letter, ," said Draco coldly, remembering the article that she had written after the war about the Malfoys who had 'run far from Potter's power of justice' . "I appreciate your willingness to help." He added quickly.

"Well, yes. But I will only help you if you do me a favor in turn," replied Rita Skeeter, her voice turning businesslike in a matter of seconds. "Perhaps you would like to enlighten me with a few details of your journey throughout the years with ." She paused, "And your current views of the Darkest Lord as well."

Draco sighed. He should have known that the woman was only interested in another interview which would no doubt stain his reputation, even after he had announced that the Malfoys were 'neutral' and were no longer involved in any way with the Death Eaters. He was about to deny Skeeter's selfish demands when he cleverly thought of a way to get his way.

"Why of course." He replied, "I know very well that your articles have not been selling as well as they have a few years ago." He added bluntly, to show that by agreeing to his standards, she would profit greatly. "That is why I inquire that you help me find Potter." Skeeter raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I have matters to discuss with him. Of… The Darkest Lord. We will also grant you a private interview." Draco continued hastily, not wanting her to lose interest. "How interesting would the readers find that to be, eh? 'Two Enemies, Potter and Malfoy, Come to Peace After the War – Discuss Matters of the New Dark Movement'. What an appealing title." When he saw the hungry gleam in Skeeter's eyes, Draco knew that he had won.

"Yes… I see. I will help you find Potter." Skeeter replied. "Although that will be quite hard… Seeing how Potter and his companions," She paused, thinking bitterly of the clever bushy-haired girl who had threatened to expose her as an unregistered Animagus. "have disappeared quietly after the war to avoid the press."

"Yes, well… If anyone can do it, I believe it is you. You _do_ have a clever way of attaining your resources after all." Draco inflated her ego, encouraging her to help him.

"Very well, . I will find Potter for you. In turn you _must_ grant me that exclusive interview." She stood up, straightening her green and grey python-patterned skirt. "Pleasure doing business with you." She smiled acidly, content that she would finally gain more interviews that would definitely sell. She walked out of the dirty pub, and thought, realizing her troubles to come. She had, of course, like many other reporters, tried to find Potter after the war, but it had been impossible. She sighed heavily, knowing that she would have to extend her powers as an Animagus to hunt down Potter's location. Her articles depended on it.

* * *

Author's Note: Short chapter, only because I haven't uploaded in over a year. Trying to find the consistency of the story and its direction...


	6. The Interrogation

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

* * *

Jay sighed heavily, shifting dust into the air as she exhaled. She tugged at the ropes with a considerably less amount of energy than she had had a day ago. Or had it been a week? Perhaps a few hours. She did not know.

_At least lying here for all of eternity to rot is better than to be with that Goyle man_, she thought bitterly, shuddering at the thought. She then chuckled humorlessly, knowing that she still had her cynical sense of humor. Her dry, yet comforting humor was short lived, however, as heavy footsteps approached.

The next thing she knew, the room to the storage door slammed open, blinding her with light. Then, she was dragged out of the room painfully by her hair pushed down onto a chair.

She squinted as her eyes were sensitive to the bright light from being in the dark for… However long she was trapped in there. Her reactions were slower as her energy was drained, and therefore could not resist as a rough pair of hands grabbed her chin and forced down a liquid into her mouth. She choked on the liquid, which seemed to be water as it did not have a specific flavor, and sputtered.

_At least it's not sour… So it can't be poison…_ She thought, trying to comfort herself. Then, without knowledge, she entered a peaceful state of mind as she relaxed. She found that she could not collect her thoughts as her mind was clouded with emptiness. Her vision was hazy, but soon came into focus. She saw three men standing in front of her, one who she could identify as Goyle and the other as Hartfelt.

"She looks downright suspicious." Spat Goyle, "Dressed as plainly as a muggle. Obviously trying to blend in!"

"Calm yourself, Goyle!" said Nott, who had also gained a sense of leadership and authority and decided to join Goyle and Hartfelt for the interrogation. "Now, it is time for the interrogation." He announced, looking at the lifeless girl slumped in the chair. "State your name," said Nott.

Jay was shocked as she felt her mouth open and speak, "I am referred to as Jay."

Nott frowned. His question had been clear and an entire vial of Veritaserum had been given to the girl. He tried again, "State your last name."

Again, her mouth betrayed as she heard herself say, "I do not know."

Goyle fumed, "How the hell does she not know her own damn name?"

Nott was perplexed as well and inquired further, "How is it that you are unknowledgeable of your own name?"

Jay replied nonchalantly, "I am an orphan." She heard herself state plainly.

Hartfelt murmured, "Ahh, that would certainly explain…"

Nott continued to ask, "What was your purpose for being in Gregorovitch Wands?" he demanded, frustrated with the lack of information he received from a simple question. "State in detail." He added.

"The store had always interested me. No one noticed it before – Shoppers would hurry past it as if it did not exist. I went inside simply because I was curious." Replied Jay.

"Surely, you knew to be equipped with a wand at a dangerous time like this." Nott pressed on, raising his voice slightly over Goyle's fuming. "When you were captured, we could not find your wand. Where did you hide it?"

"I do not have such a thing," replied Jay, angering the two Death Eaters in front of her.

"You do not have a wand?" demanded Nott.

"No."

The room was completely silent for a full minute before Nott looked at Goyle and hissed, "Bring more Veritaserum!" Goyle stood for a second, glaring at the girl and quickly walked out of the room.

"How did you reflect the jinx performed by Goyle?" Nott asked, desperate for more information.

"I do not know."

"Were you wearing clothing with anti-jinx protection?"

"I do not know of such a thing."

Silence struck the bare room again. Nott was shocked by the lack of answers that he was receiving. Frustrated, he fumed and looked over to Hartfelt whose young face was deep in thought. Finally, Hartfelt spoke. "It seems that the only explanation here is… That she is a muggle."

Nott paused, then blurted out, "_What?"_

"Yes," said Hartfelt, "Although there are mysteries surrounding the situation. Such as how she was able to see Gregorovitch Wands, as all magical shops are invisible to muggles. But as the owner, Gregorovitch is no longer alive and as the shop is not well protected, the spell that made the shop invisible to muggles could have simply worn off over time. And there is also the question as to how Goyle's spell did not work, although chances that he misperformed the spell are quite possible."

Nott was flabbergasted, and stared at Hartfelt.

"Do not be so shocked. There is a chance that she used a Memory Charm on herself right before she was captured, so she would not give any information away." Hartfelt continued with his theories. "Although that should not be too likely, as I doubt one would risk losing all of their memories to such an extent that they would not remember anything about magic. If they are a wizard or a witch, that is."

Nott was surprised and disappointed. They had hit another dead end just when they had thought they were a step closer to figuring out what 'the Hallows' were.

"So we've got absolutely no information, and stuck with a muggle orphan." Sneered Nott, "Peachy."

* * *

Author's Note: I know the story is off to a slow start, but pace will pick up!


	7. The Discussion

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

* * *

Draco stood outside of the colossal old building that stood weakly in the middle of the mountains. He looked at it with doubt and looked to Rita Skeeter standing next to him. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"Of course! Took me quite a while, but I heard the Weaselys talking about visiting Potter!" declared Skeeter confidently.

Draco was tempted to ask how she heard the Weaselys talking, knowing that they would take caution to not talk about the location of The Boy Who Lived so freely in public. Still doubting her, he knocked on the dusty wooden door. The sound echoed amongst the trees and the silence returned as the two waited. The silence was eerie and before Draco could pull out his wand, the two of them were paralyzed and fell to the ground.

"_Malfoy?"_ Draco heard the familiar voice exclaim in shock. _At least Skeeter got the place right_, he thought. He felt the spell lift off and stood up quickly to face the infamous Harry Potter.

"Is this how you treat all of your guests, Potter?" said Malfoy, dusting the dirt off of his new dark emerald robes. He studied Potter who had grown just as he had. Potter's hair was as unmanageable as ever, and his face leaner and jawbone more defined.

"How did you find me?" asked Harry, worried that his secret location was not indeed so secret after all.

"I'd like to know that as well."

Draco looked behind Potter to see his girlfriend Ginny Weasley stare at him suspiciously.

"I apologize as I did not intend to disturb the two of you on your… What is this? Lovers' vacation? Or perhaps a honeymoon?" teased Malfoy, his old Slytherin habits returning as he faced the two Gryffindors.

Harry flushed momentarily at the mention of a honeymoon as he and Ginny were not married. Regaining composure, he replied, "No. Merely trying to avoid the public as you very well know."

Ginny sighed, "Well, let's head inside." As she let the two young men go into the house before her, she looked to see the middle aged woman, still lying on the ground, Stupified. "Err…"

Harry and Draco looked back.

"Rita Skeeter. Surprisingly, she found out your location for me." Replied Draco.

Harry frowned, again bothered by the possibility of being found.

"Although I owe her my thanks, feel free to alter her memory." Stated Draco. Harry looked to Ginny for the help who nodded. She took Skeeter, still paralyzed and disapparated. Draco thought he had seen a devilish smirk on the she-Weasley's face before she left. Ginny had not forgotten about the articles Skeeter had written during their years at Hogwarts of Harry which were far from the truth.

"Well, come inside and tell me why you're here." Sighed Harry.

* * *

"So you are not allied with the Death Eaters?" asked Harry, still suspicious as he had full access to the Aurors Department at the Ministry of Magic as well as all of the information collected. "My sources tell me that you are still involved with them."

"No." replied Draco firmly from across the wooden table. "I have indeed met them, and they are pressing me to become a Death Eater again, yet they have not taken any action to make me join."

"I believe you," said Harry. "But the help you seek is something I cannot give. The Darkest Lord… It's all rubbish. He is only an imposter, wanting to follow Voldemort's footsteps. It does not concern me, and as you can see, I am trying to live without any more drama, especially concerning dark magic."

Ginny apparated next to the table, looking smug which obviously had to do something with Rita Skeeter. She looked at the two and said, "Having a civil conversation, I see." She smiled. "I'll be upstairs." She kissed Harry on the cheek and left the room.

Draco stood to leave, "Well, I just wanted to inform you on the situation and whether or not you would like to stop the new movement." He sighed, "I understand that he is nothing compared to…" He paused, then said boldly, "Voldemort, but the public _is_ in panic, what with the murders of the muggleborns. I am tired of the drama as well."

"Yes, but I am in touch with the Auror Department, and they are indeed doing their best to contain the situation." Replied Harry.

"I see. " Draco opened the door and stepped outside. "Please continue to see that all is being done to stop the new movement." Before he apparated, he smirked and said, "And I suggest you hurry up and propose to Weasley. Don't want to keep a lady waiting." _Crack!_

Harry stood with his hand on the doorknob, lost for words. But for once, he agreed with Malfoy.


	8. Nott's Brilliance

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters.  
_

* * *

The Death Eaters were in a heated argument on the morning of the first day of March.

"What the hell do you mean? A muggle? Impossible!" hissed Mulciber.

"Muggle filth!" shrieked Alecto Carrow.

"Another dead end! The Darkest Lord will not be happy!" grimaced Goyle.

"Quiet!" yelled Nott, "Yes, Goyle. We have hit another dead end. But I have come up with a new plan."

The other Death Eaters looked at Nott, who had clearly emerged as a leader. Nott waited as the others settled down to hear his new plan. The idea came to Nott the night before as he thought about the few people would know about 'the Hallows'. There was obviously Harry Potter and his two companions, but they were untouchable. They had vanished from the face of the planet. Finding them would be hard, nearly impossible. There was the Dark Lord himself, but he was history. The only other person was, undoubtedly, Albus Dumbledore. The Headmaster of Hogwarts, and the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. But he was dead as well. There was no way to speak to him except…

"We will go and speak with the one who is well informed of the Hallows." Declared Nott, "Albus Dumbledore himself!"

"Fool!" cried Amycus, "Dumbledore is _dead_! Have you forgotten?" he cackled with laughter, sounding much more than just insane with his uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Have you gone crazy?" exclaimed Goyle, nodding in agreement with Amycus.

Again the level of volume in the room rose quickly, as the Death Eaters all scoffed at Nott and his 'new plan'. However, the room became quiet as Hartfelt muttered, "Ah… Quite clever." The Death Eaters stared at the young member.

Nott was annoyed that it had taken Hartfelt less than a minute to figure out his plans. Although, he was sure that Hartfelt could have come up with the idea himself if he was truly devoted. But being young and not too committed to being a Death Eater… It was not the case.

"Protection at Hogwarts is very strong. It has increased tremendously after the rise of the Darkest Lord." Said Hartfelt.

"I know!" snapped Nott, "But if we attack with the precautions… It's possible."

"Will you two geniuses tell us what the hell the plan is?" asked Goyle, irritated. The others waited.

"We will break into the headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and talk to the painting of Albus Dumbledore." Declared Nott triumphantly.

After thinking it over briefly, the Death Eaters all roared in victory.

"Brilliant, Nott!" yelled Goyle. After the Death Eaters have clamored down again, Nott continued with a smug look on his face.

"Of course, protection at Hogwarts has improved over the years. That is why we must see that the plan is strong and well coordinated before acting upon it." Said Nott, "I expect all of you contribute. Gain information and report back to me. Find the weak points of Hogwarts so we can break in more easily. Understand?"

The Death Eaters hummed in agreement.

"What to do with the worthless muggle, then?" brought up Mulciber.

"Clearly, she will be disposed of!" laughed Amycus.

"I'll do it." volunteered Goyle, "Have some fun while I'm at it." He smirked and the others laughed.

"No." said Hartfelt quietly. His quiet exclamation did not go unnoticed as all turned to face him. "No need to kill her. We can simply alter her memories."

"Ha! Alter her memories?" laughed Rosier. "Have you forgotten? Killing filthy muggles and muggleborns is the reason for our existence."

"Fancy the girl, eh?" teased Durin. The others hooted and cackled.

Nott was silent while the Death Eaters carried on to taunt Hartfelt as Nott was the second smartest after Hartfelt on the intelligence level among the Death Eaters. He had always been suspicious of the boy Hartfelt. He received the Dark Mark without emotion, and had never killed, although the duty of being a Death Eater clearly came with the obligation to kill. However, the Darkest Lord seemed to have a soft spot for Hartfelt. Nott would keep an eye on him.

"We will keep her at the time being," announced Nott, not wanting to start anything with Hartfelt who could indeed inform the Darkest Lord of his distastes as he was valued.

Although feeble with hunger and thirst, Jay had wormed her way to the storage door after being thrown back in unceremoniously after her 'interrogation'. After an hour or so, she was able to recollect her thoughts and was horrified that she was somehow forced to speak the truth. Although she was frightened and panicked, she was clever and realized that it was the 'Veritaserum'. The hooded man named Hartfelt had spoken of it, and so had the man who questioned her. She was sure that he had ordered Goyle to get more of it. She had also studied Latin and remembered that "Veritas" meant 'truth'. So with some newfound technology, they had forced her to tell the truth. She was astounded that such a thing existed. Overcome with exhaustion, she fell asleep shortly after coming up with her theories. However, she woke to the sound of the Death Eaters yelling behind the door. Luckily, she was sensitive to sound as she was held captive in the silent storage room for a long time and caught every word that the Death Eaters said. They called their leader 'The Darkest Lord' and her a 'muggle', whatever that was. A man named Albus Dumbledore was dead, but they were going to break into a school called Hogwarts for witches and wizards to talk to his painting. Clearly, she had been abducted by a bunch of lunatics. But it gave her some comfort that her life was defended by the mysterious Hartfelt. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sighing with exhaustion and horror, Jay closed her eyes again and fell asleep once more.

* * *

Author's Note: It'll all come together soon... I promise. XP


	9. Hogwarts Under Attack Once More

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Only additional characters._

* * *

Harry Potter sighed, knowing that he and Ginny would have to relocate soon. Rita Skeeter and her meddlesome manner caused them more troubles as they did back in his fourth year at Hogwarts. Harry shook his head, vividly remembering the woman's articles and her Quick Quotes Quill. Then he frowned when he thought of her book _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_. Before he could shake the memories out of his mind, a lynx Patronus burst into his room. Instinctively, he pulled out his wand but immediately lowered it when he realized it was sent to deliver a message from the Auror Department. He had specifically told them not to contact him in case of an emergency…

"_Hogwarts is under attack. Death Eaters are present. We would greatly appreciate your help."_

Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice rang out. Harry turned quickly to leave, ready to arrest the escaped Death Eaters who had destroyed so many families. Instantly, Ginny was by his side and nodded to Harry. She wordlessly summoned two brooms from the cupboard from the other room. They left their house in the woods quickly, and disapparated to the peak of the mountain north of Hogwarts a few miles away as it was impossible to Apparate or Disapparate directly on Hogwarts grounds. They quickly mounted their brooms and sped towards Hogwarts. This would waste them some time…

* * *

The Death Eaters were clever as well. They had cast Disillusionment Charms on themselves, and their brooms and had flown directly to the headmaster's office. Minerva McGonagall was the current headmistress at Hogwarts. She was indeed very lucky that she was not in her office at the time the Death Eaters broke in, or she probably would have been dead. The Death Eaters' entry was quite inconspicuous as they vanished the window, which was their point of entry. All had been well until a collection of Sneakoscopes on a shelf had gone off.

"_Silencio!_" cast Nott, frustrated that their position had been found by something so trivial as a Sneakoscope. "Now," he directed the others, "surround the office from outside and keep intruders from coming in."

All of the Death Eaters left the headmaster's office on brooms once more, leaving Nott and Hartfelt in the room. The fight would have to be in the air. It would certainly give them a better chance to survive than if the fight was on ground. The Order of the Phoenix was certainly well trained and had a winning streak against the Death Eaters. Nott remembered that the only time they had 'won' in battle was the time when they had attempted to kill Harry Potter as he finally left the muggle home that had protected him. The fight had been on brooms and thestrals, and the fight was certainly more hectic, but the Death Eaters benefitted as they were able to evade the spells that flew towards them.

"_Cave Inimicum,_" Hartfelt waved his wand at the door and the windows. The headmasters in the paintings let out a cry of anger.

Nott turned to face paintings once he made sure that they had barricaded themselves successfully in the office. He looked at Dumbledore, or his painting who sat peacefully in a large red armchair that was also within the frames.

"Dumbledore," Nott nodded. Although he was a Death Eater, he still had his respect for Dumbledore. He had always been very intuitive and knowledgeable of everything, even of the time Nott was admitted as a Death Eater during his last year at Hogwarts.

"Theodore Nott," stated the Dumbledore in his painting, "I would have wanted you to stop all involvement with the Death Eaters as Draco Malfoy has after the war but…" He adjusted his half-moon spectacles and continued, "I see that we cannot have everything that we want." Chuckled Dumbledore, "What may I owe this… Well, I can't say pleasure." Again, Dumbledore chortled. He turned to face Hartfelt and finally noticed the girl he was holding captive. She had been gagged as she was unaffected by the Silencing Charm, much to the Death Eaters' surprise. "Well, now. Who is this?" Dumbledore peered at her questioningly, and frowned to find that she resembled someone of his past.

"We're here strictly for business, Dumbledore." Stated Nott, "Tell us what you know about 'the Hallows'."

"Ahh… So is the 'Darkest Lord' chasing after the Hallows as Voldemort before him?" asked Dumbledore, noticing Nott flinch at his old master's name, continued. "I was quite surprised to hear that anyone would dare to continue Voldemort's footsteps, especially after he was defeated."

"Yes, well… Speak, old man or the consequences will not be pleasant!" hissed Nott as he heard the first yell outside the window. The aurors had arrived.

"Consequences?" inquired Dumbledore, mildly amused, "My dear old student! I sadly doubt that you can hold anything against me as I am dead. You may threaten to destroy my painting, but you know fairly well that a painting of a wizard is merely the memory of the person, which includes his knowledge from his past life as well as his personalities."

"Yes, _Professor_," sneered Nott. He had never enjoyed the tone that Dumbledore had spoken with him, as he would be spoken to of the most obvious things. Another yell was heard from outside and he quickly hurried to speak, "But I seem to recall your soft side for filthy muggles and Mudbloods alike."

Dumbledore sighed, "Please do not use that offensive word in front of me," he repeated himself as he had done minutes before his death when Draco Malfoy had said the same vile word. "But I fail to see how this is relevant, Nott."

Nott motioned towards Hartfelt who reluctantly held out Jay in front of him.

"This foolish muggle was found wandering around in Gregorovitch Wands. Naturally, we captured her and interrogated her for information, but unfortunately we found her to be only a muggle. While thinking of when to dispose of her, I realized she looked familiar…" Nott pulled out the book _The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore_ out of his robes and quickly turned to a bookmarked page and held it in front of the painting. Dumbledore stared at the snapshot presented towards him. It was a photograph of his sister, Ariana Dumbledore. His sister was smiling and waving in her photograph, looking towards a point in distance with her blue eyes while her blonde hair danced in the air with the wind. Although her hair and eye color were different from Jay's there was no doubt that she resembled Albus Dumbledore's younger sister. Unfortunately for Dumbledore, Jay was not a random muggle from the street. Coincidentally, she looked quite familiar to someone he loved. Again, Dumbledore frowned. This was all Nott needed to know that he had gained upper hand.

"Hit a soft spot, did we?" taunted Nott. Dumbledore merely sighed in his painting. Nott continued, "You wouldn't want a poor innocent girl to suffer because you refused to help, now do you?" He jabbed his wand towards Jay who stood feebly with ropes that were unnecessary in restraining her as she had no energy left.

The words 'poor' and 'innocent' stuck to Dumbledore, knowing guiltily that the two words described his sister the best. Although Dumbledore would never do anything to help advance the Death Eaters towards the direction that would gain them power, he could also never jeopardize the lives of 'poor' and 'innocent' muggles. Indeed, Nott had hit a soft spot. Dumbledore sighed once more. Again, more yells and incantations could be heard outside the headmaster's office. It would only be a few minutes before the entire castle knew of the Death Eaters' location. Dumbledore only needed time to stall.

"Now, tell us about 'the Hallows," demanded Nott, also becoming aware of the little time he had left before he and Hartfelt could escape.

Dumbledore frowned and readjusted his glasses before saying, "Very well. The 'Deathly Hallows' is of a fairy tale of the Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus… You may know of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'. This is a story of how they faced Death himself…"


	10. The Deathly Hallows

"_Antioch asked for a weapon that would always win any battle, a weapon worthy of one who had cheated Death. Death snapped a twig off an elder tree and gave it to him — the __Elder Wand__. Cadmus asked for something to give him power over Death, for he had lost his loved one before this encounter. It was also an attempt to humiliate __Death__. Death gave him a river stone, which, by the terms of the deal, became the __Resurrection Stone__. Ignotus, however, did not trust __Death__, and asked for something that would allow him to avoid Death. Death was trapped by his words, and handed over his own __Cloak of Invisibility__. The brothers continued on and went their separate ways."_

* * *

"_Avada Kedavra!_" roared Mulciber on his broomstick, lashing his wand out towards The Boy Who Lived. The Disillusionment Charm had faded and the Death Eaters were all clearly exposed. Unfortunately for Mulciber, Harry Potter was well experienced with flying and easily dodged the green jet of light skillfully, before sending a spell of his own right back.

"_Stupefy!_" yelled Harry, hitting Mulciber square in the chest. Harry quickly cast a Cushioning Charm as Mulciber fell as he would not survive the fall, and therefore would not be able to serve a lifetime sentence in Azkaban. While he looked down briefly, he saw a few Death Eaters as well as some Aurors on the ground, lifeless. He thought he saw Shacklebolt among them before a jet of purple sped right past his ear. Quickly, he steered his broom upwards and joined the battle again.

The spell caster of the purple light was Rosier who had begun to attack Ginny. Luckily, she was quite skilled on a broomstick as Harry, her experience originating back to their years of playing Quidditch at Hogwarts. She easily dodged the spell and sent one of her back.

Painful yells and colorful jets of light filled the air on Hogwarts grounds just as they had two years ago…

* * *

"_Time passed. Antioch provoked a duel with a wizard he disliked, left him for dead, and afterwards boasted of his unbeatable wand. He was killed that very night by someone who had heard his boasting, and wanted the __wand__. Cadmus found misery when he brought his former lover back to life with the Resurrection Stone and learned she had been happier dead, ultimately committing suicide in order to truly join her. Ignotus hid from Death his entire life using the cloak until he finally reached a ripe old age, and he gave the cloak to his son. He and Death finally "met as old friends," and departed as equals."_

Nott grew more and more impatient by the second. He became anxious as he knew his time to inquire about 'the Hallows' would be up very soon. He interrupted, "Hold on, Dumbledore! What does this fairy tale have to do with the 'Deathly Hallows'?"

Before Dumbledore could reply, however, an explosion was heard outside of the window as well as the door. The Aurors had finally reached them and were attempting to break through the barrier spells that Hartfelt had cast.

"Well, it seems as our time is up." Said Dumbledore simply to the panicked Nott.

As Nott began to panic, he did not noticed Hartfelt pulling out a variety of random objects out of his cloak. A small alarm clock, a paper clip, an old silver can, a bright neon blue bouncy ball, a thimble…

"Ahh, here we go." Said Hartfelt as he held up a small white candle. Nott looked at him as if he was insane to be holding up a candle at a situation such as this. Hartfelt tossed the candle at Nott and said, "This Portkey should activate in a few seconds… I made many in intervals of one minute each in case we would have to escape."

_Clever as usual_, thought Nott. Before he could grab Hartfelt and the muggle to escape, the candle in his hand glowed bright blue and Nott found himself yanked away by the hand into another dimension…

"That little bastard!" exclaimed Nott as he found himself standing thigh-deep in a muddy marsh. Even though he was outraged and worried, he could not help but marvel at Hartfelt's brilliance of creating the many Portkeys. He quickly struggled to get out of the sticky environment and finally spun when he was able to move his legs and disapparated to Malfoy Manor.

_Hartfelt had not followed him… He had deliberately stayed with the muggle in the headmaster's office… Had he betrayed the Death Eaters?_ _He must have… He had all those Portkeys and had a chance to escape any time… _

Nott was thinking quickly, and looked around briefly to see which of the Death Eaters had managed to survive and escape back to headquarters.

Rosier was sitting with a deep cut in his arm, cursing to himself. Durin was pacing around the room, muttering curse words as well. The Carrows were sprawled out on the ground, trying to regain their energy. Goyle stood, looking befuddled and confused, obviously cursed with a spell similar to the Confundus Charm. Nott was displeased to see that only five had come back out of the eleven, including Hartfelt.

The Darkest Lord would not be pleased to find more than half of his followers gone. Nott sighed and began to process the many things that were buzzing around in his head. What Dumbledore had said about the Peverell brothers and Death… About the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Elder Wand… Now that he had thought about it, Nott began to remember hazily of the Potter boy claiming that Malfoy was the true owner of the Elder Wand on the night that The Dark Lord fell. Nott grimaced, but was comforted that he had found a new lead…

He would find Malfoy and interrogate him as well… And force him to join in helping the Darkest Lord rise once and for all.


End file.
